Observații privind cronologia ceramicii secolelor XI-XIII din Transilvania
Remarks on the Chronology of 11th–13th-Century Pottery in Transylvania

Summary/Abstract: Ceramics represent the most frequently encountered archaeological material in excavations, especially within settlement contexts. As ubiquitous artefacts of daily use, ceramic objects appear in every archaeological site and constitute essential historical sources for establishing the chronology of an occupation. However, for ceramics to serve as a reliable basis for historical interpretation, their technical characteristics (raw materials, wheel‑types, firing techniques), morphological features (vessel types, dimensions, profiles), functional categories, and decorative styles must be thoroughly understood—an aspect made more difficult by the fragmentary state of most finds. Broad formal classifications and wide chronological attributions such as “11th–13th‑century pottery” offer limited scientific value and hinder nuanced interpretation, despite the high expectations often placed on material culture to reflect political or demographic transformations within a region.

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